[Prevalence of risk factors for drowning at home related to the socioeconomic level]

Abstract

Objective: To measure the association between social economic conditions and the presence of risk factors for drowning at home in children under 5 years old within metropolitan area of Guadalajara.

Methods: Surveyed 439 family houses were lived children less than 5 years old randomly selected during 18 months. Variables included social economic level, demographics, and bodies of water and accessories present at the house.

Results: Children in the lower social economic level are exposed more frequently to buckets and laundry tubs in the house than children of medium level families, but not to underground cisterns and wells. No mater the equal number of underground cisterns and wells, safety accessories and equipment are less frequent in low socioeconomic families. Children in the low social economic level spend more time at their homes than medium socioeconomic level children.

Conclusions: It seems that the high frequency of drowning among low social economic families is related to a higher exposure to risk factors. It is necessary to improve mechanisms and change environmental conditions to reduce the number of children drowning at home.